Sam Altman takes his ‘io’ trademark battle public

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has enactment a spotlight connected backstage conversations starring up to a rival institution suing OpenAI implicit its upcoming device, io. On Tuesday, Altman posted screenshots of emails connected X showing messages betwixt him and Jason Rugolo, the laminitis of the Iyo proceeding instrumentality startup that’s suing OpenAI. The emails amusement a mostly affable speech wherever Rugolo asks Altman for his enactment arsenic Altman discloses a competing device.

“I’d emotion the accidental to transportation you to put $10MM successful my AI-meets-audio hardware company, iyO,” Rugolo wrote successful a March 4th message. “We’re launching the champion imaginable hardware interface to interact with AI-agents, aft having obsessively focused connected this occupation since 2018.”

Altman declined the connection due to the fact that helium was “working connected thing competitive.” Then, Rugolo followed up by asking whether OpenAI would similar to enactment with him, to which Altman replied he’d person to inquire erstwhile Apple decorator Jony Ive, who helium said was “driving” the launch. OpenAI purchased Ive’s AI hardware institution for astir $6.5 cardinal past month.

The adjacent emails occurred successful May, with Rugolo highlighting immoderate of the fixes Iyo made for immoderate of the “fails” that occurred during a demo shown to the OpenAI team. On May 23rd, days aft OpenAI announced its acquisition of io — a sanction akin to Rugolo’s startup — Rugolo sent Altman different email. “I’m getting blown up connected the names situation,” Rugolo said. “I wanted to level with you here, I’m feeling a small susceptible and exposed, david and goliath style. one conscionable wanted to perceive from you directly, are you superior and optimistic astir perchance bringing america in?”

In a May 23rd email, Peter Welinder, OpenAI’s VP of product, told Altman that helium doesn’t “think there’s a fit,” adding that “Their instrumentality [Iyo’s] is precise orthogonal to ours and doesn’t truly enactment yet.” 

On June 22nd, OpenAI abruptly scrubbed the “io” branding from its website, later revealing that it was forced to marque the alteration owed to a impermanent restraining bid granted arsenic portion of Iyo’s trademark lawsuit, which was filed connected June 9th. OpenAI’s hardware team testified that the io’s hardware isn’t “an in-ear device, nor a wearable.”

In the lawsuit, Iyo alleges OpenAI knew astir the startup and its exertion earlier launching io, citing meetings with Altman’s concern steadfast and Ive’s LoveFrom plan institution successful 2022. Iyo besides claims it shared accusation astir its upcoming instrumentality erstwhile trying to enlistee erstwhile Apple decorator Evans Hankey, who went connected to co-found io.

“Jason rugolo had been hoping we would put successful oregon get his institution iyo and was rather persistent successful his efforts,” Altman wrote successful his station connected X. “We passed and were wide on the way. present helium is suing openai implicit the name. this is silly, disappointing and wrong.” 

Altman’s strategy of litigating successful the tribunal of nationalist sentiment echoes OpenAI’s attack to a suit with Elon Musk, which the institution has fought partially by dropping email exchanges supporting its broadside of the story. Musk has made similar moves successful tribunal documents.

Rugolo responded to Altman’s station connected X, saying that helium didn’t privation to “fight” successful public. “Honestly conscionable deliberation it’s ace atrocious signifier for idiosyncratic similar you to beryllium coming aft maine similar this,” Rugolo posted. “I’m looking guardant to competing with you reasonably connected product; you conscionable can’t usage our name. In another reply, Rugolo expanded connected his narration with Altman anterior to the 2025 emails.

“When an capitalist you pitched everything to, particularly specified a almighty one, tells you they are present doing thing competitive… it’s conscionable a unspeakable feeling,” Rugolo wrote. “the infinitesimal helium said helium had decided to bash thing competitive, one should person instantly gotten wise… one got played beauteous hard, gave them everything.”

Though OpenAI presently can’t amusement disconnected the “io” branding, the institution has said that its woody with Ive is inactive happening. OpenAI has asked the tribunal to disregard the case, calling Iyo’s statement “unfounded” and “premature.”